SEATTLE – SEPTEMBER 23: Tailback Kahlil Bell #36 of the UCLA Bruins
warms up prior to the game against the Washington Huskies on September
23, 2006 at Husky Stadium in Seattle Washington. The Huskies went on
to win 29-19.

UCLA running back Kahlil Bell was running the ball through the middle of the line of scrimmage, and when he saw Reggie Carter, the middle linebacker, he put his head down and churned his legs hard.

Later in the day Bell, with tongue firmly in cheek, apologized for hitting Carter too hard. So hard, it turns out, Carter went from Westwood to La La Land with a concussion.

So Bell, being playful while talking trash, promised not to hurt Carter again. And said so again and again and again, until he eventually walked away.

Two years ago, a fight may have broken out, partly because Bell hadn’t perfected the science of razzin’ a teammate, and partly because Bell was too insecure to get away with razzin’ a teammate.

The stunning growth of Bell’s off-the-field demeanor mirrors that of what transpired on it, and now he is the most important piece of UCLA’s offense in both places. He is the Bruins’ only proven running back on the field, and one of its few offensive leaders off it.

“He has great vision, a great sense of setting up blocks and a mentality that you wish you could teach,” Bruins coach Rick Neuheisel said. “That mentality also gets him to a place where he also plays at a speed that others don’t, so it’s an asset. But it also gets him in (trouble) when he’s not able to control his temper, or when things require him to be calmer. But he’s gaining on that.”

In leaps and bounds, to be honest.

Bell was suspended for the final two games of the 2006 season because of conduct detrimental to the team. It stemmed from a Bell-initiated confrontation with fellow running back Chris Markey that escalated and threatened to break apart the backfield. At one point former coach Karl Dorrell considered booting Bell from the program.

But Bell came back last season, won over most of his teammates, co-existed with Markey in the backfield and was on pace for one of the top individual rushing seasons in program history before injuring his knee in the eighth game of the season.

“It’s maturity,” said Bell, who ran for team-highs of 795 yards and five touchdowns in 2007. “I used to take what happened on the field, off the field, and vice versa. As you grow older, you learn how to mature and how to handle certain situations. It’s helped me maintain the stability I kind of lacked in the past.”

The change in attitude helped Bell use his mental meddle late last season after he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee Oct. 27 at Washington State. He injured the knee on the third carry of the game and came out.

After being examined extensively on the sideline, he went back it and carried one more time, collapsing at the end of the run. He didn’t have surgery until early December.

“I knew I would make it back in time for training camp,” Bell said. “It was a lot of hard work, and there were days that it didn’t go as well as I hoped, but I kept working and kept believing. I knew I would do it.”

In the process, Bell also learned how to lead.

When UCLA’s offense had a poor day of practice earlier this week, Bell was one of the few players on the sideline letting the offense know it was unacceptable.

The next day, Bell was at the forefront of a strong offensive day. He made the correct reads on runs, showed acceleration through the line of scrimmage and ran, as he did last season, with his legs pumping hard and punishing anyone trying to tackle him.

“I definitely feel like I’m a lot further ahead than I thought I would be,” Bell said. “I thought maybe (the knee) would swell up on me a little bit, but I can honestly say my knee is 100 percent. That’s how I feel. That’s how I play. That’s how I run. I’m pretty much back to full form of where I was last year.”

UCLA running backs coach Wayne Moses, who spent the past two seasons coaching running back with the NFL’s St. Louis Rams, said Bell impressed him during a recent in-practice scrimmage period.

“He really took over the line of scrimmage,” Moses said. “He attacked the line of scrimmage. I’m pleased with what I’ve seen at this point. He’s seeing everything right now.”

Bell missed spring practice because of the knee injury, but 10 days of fall practice is enough to convince UCLA offensive coordinator Norm Chow of Bell’s ability.

“He’s an NFL back,” said Chow, who was the offensive coordinator for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans the past three seasons. “He can play there. I really like him, the way he runs, how he sees things.”

Bell is usually chatty, but his evolving personality as a leader involves less conspicuous moments as well.

During Thursday’s morning practice, with Bell sitting out to keep the strain off his knee and give a sore hip flexor a chance to rest, he watched talented freshman running back Aundre Dean make a poor read. By the time Dean turned toward the huddle, Moses was shouting at him.

Bell quickly went over to Dean to explain the mistake.

Neuheisel said he welcomes Bell’s on-the-edge approach.

“You need somebody who can lead you into the alley every now and again,” said Neuheisel, who was asked if Bell possessed such characteristics. “Yes. Without question.”

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